SHANNON Matthews had been taken off the "at risk" register despite social services receiving a number of warnings about the welfare of the schoolgirl, it can be revealed.
Full coverage and more video »An investigation is now under way to see if anything could have been done to protect the nine-year-old betrayed by her "pure evil" mother Karen Matthews in a fake kidnap plot.
Several people claim they tried to warn Kirklees Council about Shannon's treatment at home in Dewsbury, some as far back as six years ago.
One former neighbour, Claire Wilson, said she contacted social services on three separate occasions, saying she could often hear Shannon's cries and the smell of dirty clothes was constantly permeating from the house. Other people are believed to have also raised concerns.
The revelation puts the spotlight on social services again in the wake of the Baby P case.
Social workers wrote a report about Karen Matthews highlighting her "inability to successfully place the children's needs above her own" three years before Shannon went missing, it was claimed last night.
Kirklees Social Services were also said to have commissioned a psychological report on Matthews in December 2003 which was to "pay particular attention to her parenting style and her understanding of her requirements".
It concluded that her ability to protect her children was compromised by her inability to place the children's needs above her own. It was also believed she would require constant monitoring and support throughout her children's lives.
The claims were made in a BBC Panorama documentary, which also said Matthews's children were removed from the child protection register by the time the report was completed.
Despite persistent concerns about violence, poor conditions, lack of control and poor school attendance, social services decided to reduce its involvement because the family was "settling down".
The programme said three months later there was a "serious allegation of neglect" but alleged that despite ongoing concerns about violence at home and the effect it might have on the children "they were never considered at risk of significant harm" and not placed back on the child protection register.
Kirklees Council last night promised to examine all contacts they had with the Matthews family prior to the abduction.
After the arrest of Karen Matthews there were reports the plot could have been inspired by an episode of the TV show Shameless, but the Yorkshire Post can reveal Matthews and Michael Donovan were in fact almost certainly inspired to stage the kidnap by the Madeleine McCann case.
Rewards of more than £2.6m were offered to the find Madeleine McCann fund, but Matthews and Donovan had settled on just £50,000.
As the net closed on Donovan, he had packed his bags ready to escape, and detectives also believe if he had managed to get away they might not have got Shannon back alive.
